Overtown Miscellany jss.org.uk

A few examples of garden wildlife in Walton. Click on the images below to enlarge.
A pair of common toads (bufo bufo), [15th September 2010]	The dunnock (Prunella modularis), a small, inconspicuous inhabitant of the garden. Scuttles about on the ground making use of cover provided by vegetation. It is resident in Britain. [29th March 2012]	A green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata). This is a type of blow fly, found in most areas of the world, and the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. The name blow fly comes from an older English term for meat that had eggs laid on it, which was said to be fly blown. The female lays her eggs in meat, fish, animal corpses, infected wounds of humans or animals, and excrement. These flies are usually the first insects to arrive and infest a corpse. Forensic entomologists often rely on their knowledge of the development times of blow fly larvae to help determine the time of death in murder cases. So even a blow fly has a job to do! [22 Jul 2010]
A common frog (rana temporaria). [24th June 2011]	A 14-spot ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata) [26th June 2012]
This magnificent sparrowhawk (accipiter nisus) caused some alarm and despondency amongst the local bird lifewhen it caught and devoured a collared dove in the garden. [10th September 2002]	This particular collared dove was not on the menu! (streptopelia decaocto). [17th August 2010]	A wasp, not always a welcome visitor to the garden. [16th August 2011]
A clutch of blackbird (turdus merula) eggs, temporarily unattended. The parents were not far away and all of the eggs were hatched. [17th May 2011]	A blackbird fledgling (Turdus merula) having a break after hopping and fluttering around the garden. [5th June 2011]	The ever-present blackbird (Turdus merula). Grateful for food all year round. [18th January 2013]
A bright splash of colour in the garden, a jay (garrulus glandarius) makes a brief appearance. [25th November 2001]	The long-tailed tit. Latin name Aegithalos caudatus. Family Long-tailed tits (Aegithalidae). [01 August 2012]	The acrobatic blue tit (cyanistes caeruleus), always welcome in the garden. Often accompanied by cole tits, great tits and long-tailed tits. [18 January 2013]
The nuthatch (sitta europaea) often visits the garden with the tits. It is about the same size as a great tit. [5th August 2001]	Garden Spider, underside. (Aranues diadematus) [29th September 2010]	They've landed!
A marmalade fly, a member of the hoverfly family. (Episyrphus balteatus). [19th July 2010]	Peacock butterfly (Inachis io). A common but still spectacular butterfly. [8th August 2010]
Whitetailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) approaching a hosta. [19th July 2010]	Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) gathering nectar and pollen from a cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). [4th July 2011]
Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) . [4th July 2010] The harlequin ladybird was introduced to North America in 1988, where it is now the most widespread ladybird species on the continent. It has already invaded much of northwestern Europe, and arrived in Britain in summer 2004. There are 46 species of ladybird (Coccinellidae) resident in Britain and the recent arrival of the harlequin ladybird has the potential to jeopardise many of these. Find out more at the Harlequin Ladybird Survey .	Striking, even attractive as beetles go, but regarded as a garden pest - the Red Lily Beetle. This beetle is native to mainland Europe and Asia, but not the British Isles. First reported in Southern England in the nineteenth century, it is believed that they did not become established until the 1940s. Now they have spread north. Other names: Scarlet Lily Beetle, Lily Leaf Beetle or Asiatic Lily Beetle. [03 Oct 2011]
Cole tit (L. Periparus ater) . This particular one was often in the company of a blue tit and nuthatch. [03 Sep 2011]	A damp, misty autumnal day - this ladybird has sought refuge in an old liatris flower head. [19 Nov 2011]

WALTON'S GARDEN WILDLIFE
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